Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Climate all-important, economist reminds Govt
27 Aug 2019
Government decisions that don’t take climate change into account should be voided, says an economist who has spent 30 years trying to get governments in New Zealand and Australia to take the issue seriously.
Government said no to official methane advice
15 Aug 2019
The Government went beyond officials’ advice in proposing cuts in methane emissions of up to 47 per cent, briefing papers show.
Australia sets 50% e-car target by 2035
15 Aug 2019
Modelling by the Australian Government shows 50 per cent of new domestic vehicle sales will be electric by 2035.
Trainspotters fear heritage business will run out of steam
13 Aug 2019
Worried about how New Zealand’s zero-carbon drive will affect your activities? Spare a thought for the country’s steam locomotive enthusiasts facing a world without coal.
Changing climate now farmers' biggest worry
12 Aug 2019
Climate change is now the single greatest issue on farmers’ minds, according to the latest Farm Confidence Survey.
Global report hurts farmers' emissions case
9 Aug 2019
Farmers fighting a push for substantial cuts in methane emissions have been dealt a blow by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
New waste action targets makers of goods
9 Aug 2019
Producers and users of electrical and electronic goods, farm chemicals and plastics, tyres, refrigerants and packaging could be about to become legally responsible for their disposal.
Beware of freeloaders, warns Enviro-Mark chief
8 Aug 2019
Without regulations requiring all businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions, some New Zealand companies will freeload off the efforts of others, the country’s leading emissions auditor is warning.
Firms celebrate reduced carbon footprints
8 Aug 2019
A print shop, a company supplying uniforms, a skincare product manufacturer, a district council and a health board have taken the top prizes in the Enviro-Mark Solutions Awards announced in Auckland this morning.
SCOTT SIMPSON: We want a seat at the table
7 Aug 2019
National's new climate spokesperson says the party has moved a long way on climate change - and he's had a hand in it.
Nationwide, it was an unusually warm July
6 Aug 2019
When it comes to temperature, New Zealand hasn’t had a below-average month for two-and-a-half years.
Government rules out carbon market agency
5 Aug 2019
The Government says it will not set up a new agency to set the volume of carbon credits in the market.
Farmers can't agree on workable methane targets
5 Aug 2019
The agriculture sector is split over how much to cut methane emissions – but it looks like none of its members agree with the Government.
Saving natives good business, says strategy report
5 Aug 2019
Protecting New Zealand’s native species and ecosystems against the ravages of climate change will be good for business.
It must be carrot and stick, says business lobbyist
2 Aug 2019
Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns has a neat response for anyone suggesting he doesn’t understand the implications of the zero-carbon bill on the agricultural sector.
Free credits, existing forests suffer in ETS changes
31 Jul 2019
Free carbon credits to trade-exposed heavy emitters are being phased out and forests registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme before 2019 will be barred from the new averaging accounting system, the Government has just announced.
Shaw poised to announce more ETS changes
31 Jul 2019
The Government is about to unveil more changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Scott Simpson National's new climate voice
31 Jul 2019
Coromandel MP Scott Simpson is the National Party’s new climate spokesperson.
Food growers fear loss of land to dairying
26 Jul 2019
The Government’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions could see horticultural land taken over by a dairy industry being squeezed by expanding forestry, MPs have been told.
We're worried and pessimistic about climate future
25 Jul 2019
New Zealanders are getting more worried about climate change, and most don’t think we’ll be able to cut our emissions in time to avoid its impacts.
Big Business wants cross-party support for ZCB
24 Jul 2019
Companies responsible for nearly two-thirds of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are calling for cross-party support of zero-carbon legislation.
RMA overhaul could see planning role for gases
24 Jul 2019
The Government is opening the door to greenhouse gas being considering in planning applications.
Climate Change Commission deadline looms
24 Jul 2019
Nominations for members of the proposed Climate Change Commission close on Sunday.
Major polluter plans to cut emissions
23 Jul 2019
A New Zealand company whose products are responsible for more than a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year says it is setting emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement.
Plastic waste is fuelling our climate problems
23 Jul 2019
New Zealand’s plastic problem is feeding its climate problem, the head of the Engineers for Social Responsibility is warning.
Easy on methane means hard on other gases
22 Jul 2019
New Zealand is facing a 41 per cent cut in emissions of most greenhouse gases by 2030 to meet its international promises.
ON YER BIKE: Exercise great way to cut emissions
19 Jul 2019
Getting New Zealanders out of their cars and on to their feet or bikes would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 194,000 tonnes a year, researchers say.
Pay the farmers now, says bioenergy lobby
17 Jul 2019
The Bioenergy Association wants farmers who cut greenhouse gas emissions to be eligible for carbon credits now.
Government sticks with 100% renewables plan
16 Jul 2019
The Government is pushing ahead with plans to make New Zealand’s electricity generation 100 per cent renewable, despite advice from the Interim Climate Change Committee that it would be better to focus on electrifying the transport and industrial heat sectors.
Global carbon markets long way off, says Shaw
12 Jul 2019
Functioning international carbon markets are a decade away – probably two, New Zealand’s climate minister says.
Farm methane doing most damage, say scientists
11 Jul 2019
Methane from farm animals in New Zealand is doing more damage to the climate than the combined impacts of all other greenhouse gases, a new analysis says.
Energy agency welcomes Government moves on e-vehicles
11 Jul 2019
Proposals to get more low-emission vehicles on New Zealand roads could be a major step for the transport sector and for transitioning the country to a low-carbon economy, according to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
Refinery wants to cut costs with solar farm
10 Jul 2019
Installing a solar farm at the Marsden Point oil refinery will cut the operation’s greenhouse gases by 18,000 tonnes a year.
Government pushes plans for cleaner cars
9 Jul 2019
New emissions standards for cars could cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than five million tonnes over 20 years.
Air NZ jettisons plastic products
9 Jul 2019
The removal of plastic from Air New Zealand’s in-flight service is cutting its carbon emissions, the airline says.
Local governments want climate rules in RMA
8 Jul 2019
Local authorities want to be able to take climate impacts into account when they are considering applications under the Resource Managements Act.
ZCB might not do the job, Government hears
5 Jul 2019
The zero-carbon bill might not fulfil New Zealand’s international obligations on climate change, the Government is being told.
ProdCom report urges Govt to support councils
4 Jul 2019
The Government is coming under increasing pressure to provide local councils with the skills and resources they need to deal with the impacts of climate change.
Why we can't ignore imported carbon emissions
3 Jul 2019
Greenhouse gases released in the production of imported goods used by New Zealanders are coming under the spotlight.
BETTER WORLD: There's a lot to do, says Govt
2 Jul 2019
New Zealand can increase wealth and jobs and protect the environment – but it’s going to take work, the Government says.
Let's include pollution deaths in road toll
1 Jul 2019
Deaths from air pollution caused by vehicles should be included in the road toll, doctors and electric vehicle campaigners say.
'Rugby, big cars and beer' worries expert
28 Jun 2019
Energy and climate expert Professor Ralph Sims has been trying for years to get the message across to New Zealanders that driving cars is our climate downfall.
Touring by car ups emissions, says report
27 Jun 2019
Domestic and international tourists driving cars are pushing up New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, counteracting a small drop in emissions from industry.
Government buying power goes green
27 Jun 2019
The Government is using its massive buying power to help to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Storms threaten billions in road-rail damage
26 Jun 2019
Countries are being told to urgently upgrade their road and rail networks in the wake of a report predicting billions of dollars a year in damage from natural disasters.
We might have to step in, warns Reserve Bank
25 Jun 2019
The Reserve Bank says it might have to step in and regulate if companies fail to deal with climate risks.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of climate battle
20 Jun 2019
Morocco, Gambia, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, India and the Philippines are the good guys.
Shaw will wait and see on emissions targets
19 Jun 2019
New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emissions might not peak until 2035 under current policies, the Government says.
It's all about microbes, say scientists
19 Jun 2019
Humans’ ability to survive and adapt to the changing climate might come down to microbes.
Carbon markets risk penalising Indigenous stewardship, researchers warn
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Carbon markets designed to reward environmental restoration may be unintentionally disadvantaging Indigenous communities who have long protected intact ecosystems, according to new research.
Grasslands and wetlands are being gobbled up by agriculture, mostly livestock
Wed 4 Mar 2026
A new study takes a first-of-its kind look at how farming converts non-forested areas and major carbon sinks into cropland and pasture.
Auckland Airport switches on giant heat pump system to cut gas use
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While Auckland Airport’s switch from gas to heat pumps is welcome, the emissions savings are dwarfed by ongoing aircraft emissions, which are set to rise, according to a sustainable transport expert.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Half of nations meet UN deadline for nature-loss reporting
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Half of nations have met a UN deadline to report on how they are tackling nature loss within their borders, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This includes 11 of the 17 “megadiverse nations”, countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Unusual scarcity drives early 2026 NZU rally
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The New Zealand carbon price has recovered since its late 2025 collapse, although the rally is driven by scarcity rather than confidence in market settings.
Labour selects former UN climate official George Hampton for Christchurch Central
Today 11:45am
Media release | The Labour Party has selected senior United Nations climate official and business owner George Hampton as the candidate for Christchurch Central for 2026.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Italy calls for suspension of EU carbon market
2 Mar 2026
The Italian Minister said the Emissions Trading System (ETS) has a "perverse effect" and is condemning European companies from being competitive with other countries, urging other member states to back the suspension.
The Last Empire: Why the Trump-Netanyahu war signals the fall of a civilisation
Today 11:45am
COMMENT: America is waging wars of expansion across two continents at the precise moment its energy foundations are giving way. The war on Iran is a stress test of a late-stage empire – and every indicator says it will fail.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Almost $190k in relief funds help storm-hit Whangaruru coast
Today 11:45am
By Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter | More than two thirds of the $280,000 emergency relief fund set up to help weather-hit Whangaruru coast residents has been given out.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
25 Feb 2026
It’s pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef.
A gas shock – not an oil shock – from the Iran war looks more threatening
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Surviving on Trump's dangerous planet
2 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Yet another war, and yet another argument for an end to oil.
Five trees can’t offset a car: Lawyers accuse Mazda of greenwashing
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ is taking Mazda to the Advertising Standards Authority over its claims that a tree-planting programme will offset vehicle emissions.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Carbon auction set to be another non-event
2 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction – the first for 2026 – is set to be a non-event, with secondary market prices more than $25 below this year’s $71 auction floor price.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Tiny, lost and constipated: what a baby turtle told Australian scientists about warming seas
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these ‘sentinels of climate change’ are being forced into unknown territory.
The world’s largest climate finance deal was built to flounder: why funding fails to reach the front‑line
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Adopted in December 2015, the Paris Agreement commits countries to keeping global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Rule changes could reshape corporate emissions strategies
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand organisations may need to rethink how they manage and report electricity-related emissions as proposed global accounting changes take shape, according to a new report.
Should we tax the rich to pay for climate costs? Poll says yes
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New polling has found most New Zealanders support higher taxes on the ultra-rich to help fund public goods such as healthcare, housing and climate action.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
PPA template aims to cut transaction costs and accelerate renewable investment
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release – DLA Piper | An energy industry initiative led by BusinessNZ Energy Council, Zeale (formerly EVA Marketplace) and DLA Piper has released New Zealand’s first publicly available, standardised template for corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), designed to reduce transaction costs and unlock more financing to accelerate renewable energy projects.
Global coastal sea-level risks may be underestimated, say scientists
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coastal communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia could be facing greater sea-level rise risks than previously estimated, researchers say.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition
Today 11:45am
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Empty emergency reserve forces $6.1m flood repair loan
2 Mar 2026
By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter | A depleted emergency fund has forced Marlborough to borrow $6.1 million to repair damage from last year's floods.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Western Australian communities want mandatory payments from new renewable developments
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen.
